Virtual reality is becoming an increasingly popular option for gamers and those eager to try this fully immersive experience. How does it work? Reporter Theresa Chong talks to Richard Marks, director of PlayStation Magic Lab, to find out. NEW YORK—The other day I caught the tail end of a fireside chat with bestselling author R.A. Salvatore. I stood just a few feet away from him in a tavern with about 30 other people, close enough to make eye contact and to hear what he was saying. Now the truth: I was actually represented by an avatar who stood near the fantasy writer’s avatar.
We were all inside the virtual confines of AltspaceVR, the product of a well-funded Silicon Valley-based virtual reality software company whose mission is to push VR as a social platform. It’s a promising environment that is also saddled by early growing pains—technical hiccups, plus reports of harassment towards women.
Anyone who has experienced virtual reality knows that when you strap on a headset you can be transported to somewhere out of reach for most: the summit of Mt. Everest or in goal facing the NHL’s New York Rangers, for instance..Read More…
